Yes, a healthcare provider can see a child's eardrum using a special lighted, magnifying tool called an otoscope, which allows them to check for infections or fluid by looking for redness, bulging, or reduced movement of the eardrum (tympanic membrane). You can't see it with just a flashlight, as it's located deep in the ear canal, but an otoscope provides the clear view needed for diagnosis, sometimes even using a puff of air (pneumatic otoscopy) to test its mobility.
You can't see someone's eardrum with the naked eye. But your healthcare provider can use an otoscope to look at your eardrum. An otoscope is a lighted handheld instrument that magnifies your ear canal and eardrum.
The ear drum is often transparent and looks like a stretched piece of clear plastic.
A: Kids can receive ear tubes any time after 4 months of age. Q18: If I can see a tube in my child's ear, can I pull it out? A: No. That can cause further complications.
No, using a flashlight won't offer a detailed view of the intricate inner ear canal structures. Yet, it can be useful for lighting up the outer ear area. For a clear and accurate view of your eardrum, an ear inspection camera or otoscope is recommended.
SmartCheck® from Children's TYLENOL® is a personal otoscope (ear scope) and app that turns your smartphone into an otoscope. The free* app will help guide you in how to correctly attach the device, position your child, take a recording of their eardrum, and send it to a healthcare provider.
A red, bulging eardrum indicates an infection. A doctor also may use a pneumatic otoscope, which blows a puff of air into the ear canal, to check for fluid behind the eardrum. A normal eardrum will move back and forth more easily than an eardrum with fluid behind it.
Children might need tubes if:
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage may include:
Did you know your child can still get ear infections with ear tubes? The infection will look different. You should see drainage coming out of their ear(s). It will be a liquid that looks like mucus or yellow/green pus.
A child might have:
The outer ear consists of an outwardly visible part – the part you wear earrings on or cover with earmuffs. But there is also part of the outer ear that you can't see with the naked eye, including your eardrum.
Build-up of earwax can block the ear canal (impaction) giving a temporary hearing loss and discomfort and can contribute to outer ear infections (otitis externa). Hearing loss due to impacted wax can be frustrating and stressful and, if untreated, can contribute to social isolation and depression.
Three-finger test: Keep one finger at cymba conchae, second finger over posterior border of mastoid and third finger at mastoid tip. Maximum tenderness under first finger signifies tenderness over suprameatal triangle.
It is very unlikely that you will damage your eardrum with your finger. It is true, however, that reaching too deep into the ear with a cotton bud can lead to damage to the eardrum.
Sometimes earwax builds up in the ear canal and hardens. Earwax blockage (also called cerumen impaction) can cause some loss of hearing and pain. When wax is tightly packed, you will need to have the doctor remove it. Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety.
If your ear feels clogged for more than a few days, or if you experience symptoms like ringing in your ears, dizziness, fluid drainage or pain, it's important to seek professional help. While some causes, like earwax or altitude, are minor, others could be signs of a hearing loss or infection.
Other related conditions include:
About 1 million children each year have tubes placed in their ears. The most common ages are from 1 to 3 years old, but many older children also undergo the surgery.
Ear tube surgery is usually done under general anesthesia. Anesthesia is the use of medicines called anesthetics to keep your child from feeling pain during a procedure. In addition to making your child not feel any pain, general anesthesia will also help them sleep through the procedure.
The top reasons a child may need ear tubes are recurrent ear infections, speech delay and hearing loss. If a child has three or more ear infections in a six-month period, parents should talk to their pediatrician about making an appointment with a pediatric ENT.
The exam likely includes looking inside the child's ears with a lighted instrument known as an otoscope. If the eardrum is red and bulging, there's likely an infection. Other tests might be needed if there's doubt about a diagnosis, if the condition hasn't gotten better with treatment or if there are other issues.
Symptoms of Ear Infections
The main symptom is an earache. Younger children will cry, act fussy or have trouble sleeping because of pain. About 50% of children with an ear infection will have a fever.
Symptoms and Causes